Flight Safety Information
March 11, 2011 - No. 052
In This Issue
Experts: Awareness of jet, bird collisions needs improvement
Air Safety Institute's latest 'Nall Report' now available
India catches 57 pilots over alcohol limit, only grounds 11
Pilots on the run, DGCA 'connivance' suspected
FAA: No more emergency oxygen in airplane lavatories
Japan's Sendai Airport largely destroyed by tsunami
Wi-Fi causes cockpit screens to blank out
Airlines Cancel, Divert Flights Following Japan Quake
NTSB TO MEET ON A PLANE CRASH IN OWATONNA
NTSB TO HOST VOLUNTEER PILOT SAFETY SEMINAR
Airline giant Virgin Atlantic creates 450 jobs
Experts: Awareness of jet, bird collisions needs improvement
By Alan Levin, USA TODAY
As his flight neared Atlanta several weeks ago, Russ DeFusco sat stunned as the jet flew
through a flock of about 1,000 starlings. Dozens of the black birds whizzed past the
wings, fuselage and engines, narrowly missing the jet.
After landing, DeFusco says, a conversation with the pilots confirmed his fears that
federal aviation regulators and airline pilots aren't taking some basic steps to protect
against birds, which can take down a jet if they get into engines, strike cockpits or
damage wings.
The pilots told DeFusco, who has worked for the U.S. Air Force and civilian airports for
decades to reduce the risks that birds pose to aviation, that it was the worst encounter
they'd ever had with a flock of birds. Yet, the pilots told him they hadn't radioed air-
traffic controllers to alert other aircraft flying on the same path.
"They said, 'We have no procedures for that,' " DeFusco recalls.
DeFusco says the response concerned him because it shows how much more needs to be
done to avert airplane collisions with birds, a problem that by some measures has
worsened while nearly all other categories of aviation accidents have dropped.
ANALYSIS: Aircraft collisions with birds increase
Nothing points out the danger like the so-called Miracle on the Hudson on Jan. 15, 2009,
when a US Airways jet struck a flock of geese, knocking out both engines. Since then,
the Federal Aviation Administration has pushed airports to do a better job of keeping
birds away from runways.
FAA data on collisions between aircraft and birds suggest that work has paid off. Even as
overall reports of bird strikes have surged because of heightened awareness following
the splashdown in the Hudson, the most serious incidents involving airline aircraft on or
near the ground have remained flat. By some measures, they have even fallen.
But the most serious incidents - those cases most likely to trigger a major accident - that
occur above 500 feet have grown steadily, despite decreases in airline flights. From
2000 through 2008, there were 4.8 severe collisions between airliners and birds per
million airline flights. In 2009, that rose to 6.7 per million flights, a 40% increase.
The FAA says it's aware of the trend and is evaluating steps to improve safety,
spokeswoman Laura Brown says. The agency is funding research into radars that track
birds and flashing lights on planes that may ward off birds.
According to DeFusco and Paul Eschenfelder, a retired airline pilot who teaches wildlife
control at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, more needs to be done. They say a few
basic changes to raise pilot awareness and to alter flight paths in high-risk areas could
immediately reduce the chances of a collision.
The sky above California's Central Valley is a case in point, they say. Sacramento
International Airport is there, surrounded by farmland and wetlands that are home to
thousands of birds.
The Sacramento airport has one of the highest rates of dangerous bird collisions in the
nation. Since 2000, nearly twice as many of those incidents have happened outside the
airport, the FAA data show.
"It's very, very difficult to protect against wildlife strikes when there is 500,000 acres of
agriculture around us," says Glen Rickelton, manager of planning and environment for
the Sacramento County Airport System.
DeFusco and Eschenfelder say that a few simple changes in the flight paths in and out of
Sacramento would help reduce the risks.
One suggestion is to minimize the time that aircraft arriving at the airport spend below
3,000 feet, the zone where most bird collisions occur. Often, air-traffic controllers will
direct planes to descend to these low altitudes and then have them level off for a time.
Instead, planes should descend steadily through these low altitudes, they say.
Similarly, when planes take off, pilots in areas with birds should climb more steeply than
normal, which gets them out of harm's way more quickly. Such departure paths aren't
unique. They are used routinely at airports in the U.S. and Europe to reduce the effect
of noise.
"We know where the birds are. We know where the airplanes are flying. Why the heck
don't we separate them?" Eschenfelder says. "It would pay dividends. There is no doubt
about it."
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2011-03-11-birdstrikes11_VA_N.htm
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Air Safety Institute's latest 'Nall Report' now available
The 2010 edition of the Air Safety Institute's Joseph T. Nall Report, the most
comprehensive annual review of general aviation safety, is now available on the Air
Safety Institute website. While the news about commercial GA operations was
unexpectedly good, significant concerns persist in most types of non-revenue flights.
"The Nall Report is, first and foremost, and teaching tool," said Bruce Landsberg,
president of the Air Safety Institute's parent organization, the AOPA Foundation. "Those
who choose to be safe by learning from others' mistakes and avoiding risky flight
operations have an above-average safety record. It's perfectly logical. GA flying is as
safe as the pilot chooses to make it and there can be a wide continuum."
The current Nall Report is based on 2009 accident data-the last year for which enough
accident investigations have been completed to provide a reasonably complete picture.
Commercial operations show marked improvement
The safety record of commercial GA flights-those conducted for direct compensation,
including crop-dusting, helicopter external load, and Part 135 cargo and charter flights-
showed substantial improvement in 2009. The number of accidents on commercial fixed-
wing flights decreased by one-third from 2008, and the two fatal accidents-both on
agricultural application flights-represent an 88-percent decrease from the previous year.
There were no fatal accidents on fixed-wing charter or cargo flights in 2009.
The commercial helicopter accident rate increased slightly from 2008, but is still
dramatically better than it was as recently as eight years ago. The overall rate of
commercial helicopter accidents has decreased 71 percent since 2003, from 8.2
accidents per 100,000 flight hours to 2.38. The fatal accident rate has been reduced by
85 percent (from 2.14 to 0.32) over the same period. There were four fatal accidents on
commercial helicopter flights in 2009, resulting in 16 deaths, which is in the middle of
the range for the preceding decade. Fourteen of the 16 fatalities were the result of only
two accidents: Eight died when a helicopter transporting workers to an oil rig crashed in
the Gulf of Mexico, and six were killed in the sightseeing helicopter that collided with a
private single-engine airplane over the Hudson River near New York City.
Mixed results in noncommercial flying
Noncommercial fixed-wing flight activity continued to decline in 2009, dropping 10
percent from its 2008 level. The number of accidents also decreased, but only by 5
percent, while the number of fatal accidents increased 4 percent; accident rates were
the highest since 2005. Noncommercial aviation includes not only personal and pleasure
flying, but business and corporate travel, flight instruction, positioning and ferry flights,
and all other operations conducted under Part 91.
Within these overall results, there are bright spots as well as areas of concern. Fuel
mismanagement only caused half as many accidents as it did ten years ago, and the
number blamed on bad weather-traditionally one of the deadliest accident categories-
dropped 22 percent from the year before. However, the number attributed to
mechanical failures jumped 19 percent; in 2009 they made up 17 percent of all
noncommercial fixed-wing accidents, the highest share in more than a decade.
Amateur-built aircraft continued to have significantly higher rates of both fatal and
nonfatal accidents than comparable type-certificated aircraft, suffering particularly from
greater numbers of documented mechanical failures and unexplained losses of engine
power. More than half the fatal mechanical accidents occurred in amateur-built airplanes.
Personal flights accounted for less than half of all noncommercial fixed-wing flight time
but more than three-quarters of all accidents and nearly 85 percent of fatal accidents.
Not surprisingly, nearly all of the accidents involving private pilots (94 percent) were
personal flights, but personal flights also accounted for the majority of accidents
involving commercial and airline transport pilots: 60 percent of all accidents involving
commercial pilots were personal flights, as were 67 percent of those involving ATPs.
Noncommercial helicopter flights were the only segment of general aviation where
activity did not decrease significantly in 2009. Their record, too, has improved
substantially in recent years: The fatal accident rate has dropped 48 percent since 2000,
from 1.97 to 1.03 per 100,000 flight hours, and the overall accident rate of 7.40 is down
41 percent from its recent peak of 12.62 in 2002. The year 2009 saw 13 more accidents
but five fewer fatal accidents than 2008. Personal flights in helicopters also carried
disproportionate risks, accounting for 7 percent of all flight time but 33 percent of all
accidents. Instructional accidents were less than half as likely to be fatal as accidents on
other noncommercial helicopter flights.
The analysis from the Nall Report helps identify safety trends-good or bad-and training
opportunities where the Air Safety Institute can focus its efforts. It is available online,
and hard copies are available by sending an e-mail request.
The Air Safety Institute, a division of the AOPA Foundation, is the world's largest
nonprofit general aviation safety organization. Originally known as the AOPA Air Safety
Foundation, it was founded in 1950 solely to help general aviation pilots improve flight
safety. Since that time, the general aviation total accident rate has dropped by more
than 90 percent.
http://www.aopa.org/training/articles/2011/110310asi_2010_nall_report_available.html
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India catches 57 pilots over alcohol limit, only grounds 11
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's airline authorities caught 57 pilots over the alcohol limit
about to take to the cabin of passenger-carrying jets over the past two years, but most
were cleared to fly again, media said on Friday.
Only 11 of the pilots found to be under the influence of alcohol in random pre-flight
medical tests between January 2009 and November 2010 lost their job, the Times of
India newspaper said, citing a statement by Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi to lawmakers.
The rest were hit with varying punishments determined by their airline, such as warning
letters or a fine.
To combat the rising number of inebriated pilots in India's skies, authorities brought in a
rule last year grounding first-time offenders for three months and stripping the flying
licence from repeat offenders.
Since the rule came into effect in December, a month when cases have traditionally
peaked, no cases have yet been reported.
Reports of Indian passengers complaining of poorly behaved pilots are not uncommon.
Two years ago, national carrier Air India grounded two pilots and two cabin crew after a
four-way fracas in the passenger cabin left the cockpit unmanned mid-flight.
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Pilots on the run, DGCA 'connivance' suspected
New Delhi: A day after arresting a woman pilot for allegedly procuring a licence on
forged documents, the Delhi Police were planning to investigate the possibility of a larger
racket involving "monetary considerations" and "connivance" of officials from the
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Two other pilots under the scanner for alleged similar offences are on the run, police
said. The two pilots, Sardar Swaran Singh from Jaipur and Meenakshi Singhal from
Janakpuri in west Delhi, allegedly procured licences on forged documents around the
same time as the arrested former IndiGo pilot Parminder Kaur Gulati - between January
2009 and October 2010.
Police on Thursday slapped an additional charge of criminal conspiracy against the
accused. Singhal too worked for IndiGo and was a good friend of Gulati's, Crime Branch
sources said.
"We will look into all examinations conducted during that period, and have asked for the
duty roster of all employees who were looking after the procedures," said a senior police
officer. The officer said Gulati, the 38-year-old wife of an IPS officer of the 1998 batch,
got her flying licence against roll number 19250553, allotted to one Captain Saurabh
Mishra. She was grounded on January 11 after allegedly landing an aircraft on its fragile
nosewheel in Goa. Sources said Gulati "clammed up" during her interrogation by the
Crime Branch today.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Pilots-on-the-run--DGCA--connivance--
suspected/760934/
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FAA: No more emergency oxygen in airplane lavatories
Citing a security vulnerability, agency orders equipment disabled in 6,000 U.S. planes
Citing security concerns, the federal government in secrecy last month ordered every
airline in the United States to remove emergency oxygen in every lavatory on all 6,000
domestic commercial aircraft.
Under Air Worthiness Directive 2011-04-09, made public this week, the Federal Aviation
Administration directed all airlines to disable the lavatory oxygen generators to
"eliminate a potential safety and security vulnerability."
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..That means that if there's a sudden loss of cabin pressure, now only those passengers
at their seats will have oxygen flowing to the masks that drop down from the ceiling.
"I'm in shock," said Kate Hanni, executive director of Flyersrights.org, a nonprofit airline
passengers' rights organization. "We get reports of mid-air decompression events all the
time. So now going to the bathroom on a commercial flight can kill you? I'm panicking
just thinking about this."
Although rapid decompression is rare, it does happen. In October, for example, oxygen
masks were deployed on an American Airlines flight enroute from Miami to Boston after
the cabin lost pressure when a two-foot hole tore open in the plane's fuselage . The crew
declared an emergency, and the plane safely returned to Miami. Passengers were
panicked, but no one was injured.
But under the FAA's new directive, any passengers who happen to be in the airplane
restroom should such an event occur would no longer have immediate access to oxygen.
According to the FAA, the airlines completed disabling the oxygen generators in the
lavatories of all 6,000 U.S. aircraft on March 4. The FAA said in a statement released
Thursday that it delayed informing the public about this action because it was concerned
about keeping travelers "as safe and secure as possible."
The agency told NBC News that the action was done proactively in response not to a
specific threat but to general concerns that a terrorist could use the lavatory oxygen to
start a fire or ignite a bomb.
"Had the FAA publicized the existence of this security vulnerability prior to airlines fixing
it, thousands of planes across the U.S. and the safety of passengers could have been at
risk," the FAA stated.
The agency noted that it is working with aircraft manufacturers "to design, certify, and
install a new lavatory oxygen system" on all aircraft, adding that "if there is a sudden
loss of cabin pressure, pilots are already trained to guide the aircraft to a safe,
breathable altitude as quickly as possible. Flight attendants are also already trained to
assist passengers to quickly access oxygen - including those in the lavatories."
Sara Keagle, a flight attendant who blogs at TheFlyingPinto.com, said flight attendants
had not yet received training on the new directive but added that they already have
access to portable oxygen bottles that could be used to assist any passengers in a
lavatory.
"If a decompression should occur, flight attendants are trained to get on oxygen
immediately," she said. "Once it is safe, we would don a portable oxygen bottle and
check the cabin, including the lavs, to make sure everyone was OK."
But Arthur Alan Wolk, an aviation safety expert and licensed jet pilot, said: "Part of the
idea of the oxygen mask dropping from the ceiling during loss of cabin pressure is to
keep the occupants of the main cabin alive until an airplane gets down to a breathable
altitude. By eliminating the source of oxygen for the unlucky souls in the bathroom,
you've just killed those people."
Airlines were expected to begin informing passengers about the lack of lavatory oxygen
generators on seatback briefing cards, during the verbal passenger safety briefing
presentation and on signs posted in airplane bathrooms.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42015889/ns/travel-news/
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Japan's Sendai Airport largely destroyed by tsunami
Sendai Airport in Miyagi Prefecture has been largely destroyed after an 8.9 magnitude
earthquake triggered a tsunami that swept inland along Japan's Pacific coast.
Images from Japanese TV network NHK show the airport ramp and surrounding runways
completely flooded with no sign of aircraft anywhere near the terminal building, which
appears to be intact.
The US Geological Survey reports that the earthquake hit at 14:46 local (05:46 GMT)
with its epicentre off the coast of the island of Honshu.
Both Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports were closed for a period, although media
reports suggest that Haneda has now reopened.
A spokeswoman for Tokyo Narita says the airport has no reported damage, but has been
closed since 14:58 local.
Although it is ready to re-open, she says, there is no definite time stated.
Chubu Centrair Airport in Nagoya says "there is no impact on our airport facilities" as a
result of the earthquake, according to an English translation of its website.
http://www.flightglobal.com/
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Wi-Fi causes cockpit screens to blank out
Recent tests of new Boeing 737 airplanes, with Wi-Fi activated, result in cockpit screens
blanking out momentarily, but manufacturer of display unit says no flight safety issues.
Suntec, SingaporeBoeing has confirmed that Wi-Fi signals caused cockpit displays to go
"blank" during a recent test of its new generation of 737NG airplanes, but the aircraft
maker says no planes with this problem have rolled off its production lines.
According to a blog post Thursday on industry news site, Flightglobal, this has prompted
Boeing to halt installation of in-flight connectivity systems in all its planes including wide-
body aircrafts.
The report explained that affected planes were installed with "Phase 3" of Honeywell's
display units (DU 3), and were going through electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing
of Aircell's Gogo in-flight connectivity system when the "blank screen" showed up.
It noted that tests were carried out with Wi-Fi radiation levels "higher than normal",
exceeding levels emitted even from a planeload of passengers' laptop and mobile
devices. These conditions are part of test requirements set by the U.S. Federal
Communication Commission.
Honeywell confirmed the "momentary blanking" occurred during recent ground tests,
but not in-flight, and the affected screens reappeared "well within Boeing's specific
recovery timeframe". It further stressed that this was not a flight safety issue.
However, the Flightglobal blog noted that "fallout from the event is already occurring",
with authorities requiring 737NG operators to put placards in the flight deck indicating
that Wi-Fi devices should be switched off. They are also prohibited from installing DU 3
units in the presence of in-flight connectivity systems.
This incident has also affected installations of AeroMobile's eXphone. Airlines that placed
orders for the system, such as Cathay Pacific, Turkish Airlines and V Australia, will not be
receiving aircrafts with the eXphone as scheduled, until the display issue is addressed.
Singapore Airlines, one of the latest airlines to jump on the in-flight Web connectivity
bandwagon, is partnering OnAir to offer Wi-Fi service on its aircrafts.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/
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Airlines Cancel, Divert Flights Following Japan Quake
TOKYO (WSJ)-Japanese airlines cancelled hundreds of flights, grounding thousands of
passengers, while other airlines diverted or suspended flights bound for Tokyo Friday
after the massive earthquake struck northeast Japan.
The quake, Japan's worst, caused untold death and damage, triggering a devastating
tsunami in coastal areas and disrupting communications and power supply in the worst-
hit areas. The death toll stood at 44 based on the latest estimates but was expected to
rise.
Tokyo's major airports halted flights, though Haneda Airport was later reported to have
reopened several runways. Operations at Narita airport remained suspended late Friday.
All Tokyo-area trains were halted, and the shinkansen bullet train service in the quake-
torn areas has been suspended.
Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. said 131 domestic and international flights were
cancelled, grounding 32,700 passengers. Including flights which changed destinations,
the earthquake affected 162 flights and 37,800 passengers, ANA said.
An ANA spokesman said all flights coming into and out of Tokyo's Narita airport and an
airport in Sendai in northern Japan had been cancelled from 0900 GMT. But he said the
Haneda airport in Tokyo is partially operating for takeoff and landing.
Japan Airlines said that 27 of its flights had changed destinations, affecting 5,290
passengers, while it was still calculating the number of flight cancellations.
Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. said it expects flights to Japan to continue to be affected in
the coming days. The Hong Kong-based carrier said in a statement two of its flights to
Tokyo's Narita Airport from Hong Kong were diverted to Nagoya and Osaka on Friday,
while a flight to Nagoya from Taipei was diverted to Osaka.
As of 0900 GMT, Airport Authority Hong Kong, which operates the city's airport, said two
flights to Tokyo that were scheduled to depart Friday have been delayed to Saturday,
while another flight was canceled.
British Airways, part of International Consolidated Airlines Group SA, cancelled two
flights to Tokyo from London. Two flights from Japan to the U.K. departed before the
earthquake struck, so the carrier has no planes in the country.
A British Airways spokeswoman couldn't say when flights to Japan would resume, but
said the carrier was keeping the situation under review.
Singapore Airlines Ltd. diverted two flights bound for Tokyo to other airports after
Tokyo's Narita Airport was temporarily shut down.
The two flights, one from Singapore and one from Los Angeles, have landed safely at
Fukoka and Haneda airports respectively, a spokeswoman for the airline told Dow Jones
Newswires by telephone.
South Korea's two major airlines also said they had suspended some flights to Japan.
Korean Air Lines Co. initially halted flights to Narita and Haneda airports, but later said it
had resumed flights to Haneda airport as of 0800 GMT.
Asiana Airlines Inc. said it has stopped flights to Narita, Haneda and Sendai airports for
now.
Malaysian Airline System Bhd. said flights to Narita and Haneda airports would be
disrupted with one Narita-bound flight already diverted to Taipei.
"We have received notification from the airport authorities to suspend our flights in and
out of Narita Airport and Haneda Airport," Malaysia Airlines Director of Operations,
Captain Azharuddin Osman said in a statement. "We will only be able to confirm our
flight schedules once we receive clearance from the relevant civil aviation authorities.
"It is likely that flights to Japan may continue to be affected in the coming days. We will
monitor the situation closely, especially the operation status of the affected airports," he
added.
Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM hadn't decided whether to operate two services
from Europe to Japan Friday. One flight to Tokyo was diverted to Osaka.
At Deutsche Lufthansa AG, one flight to Japan was postponed, spokesman Michael
Lamberty said. There were no reports of Lufthansa employees affected, he added.
Its Swiss unit still was planning to operate a flight to Japan later Friday.
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NTSB TO MEET ON A PLANE CRASH IN OWATONNA AND TO VOTE ON THE
NTSB MOST WANTED LIST BOARD ORDER
************************************************************
Washington, DC -- The National Transportation Safety Board
will hold a Board meeting to consider a final report on a
2008 plane crash in Owatonna, Minnesota. The meeting will
be held on Tuesday, March, 15, 2011, at 9:30 a.m., in the
NTSB Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L'Enfant Plaza,
S.W., Washington, D.C. The Board will also deliberate on a
Board Order addressing the NTSB Most Wanted List.
On July 31, 2008, East Coast Jets flight 81, a Hawker
Beechcraft 125-800A, crashed while attempting a go-around
after landing on runway 30 at Owatonna Degner Regional
Airport, Owatonna, Minnesota. The nonscheduled domestic
flight crashed killing the two pilots and six passengers.
A summary of the Board's final report, which will include
findings, probable cause and safety recommendations, will
appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of the
meeting. The entire report will appear on the website
several weeks later.
In the second agenda item, the Board will consider a
proposal to use a written notation process to approve the
annual Most Wanted List of Safety Improvements, rather than
deliberate the contents of the list during a meeting of the
Board.
A live and archived webcast of the proceedings will be
available on the NTSB's website at www.ntsb.gov. Technical
support details are available under "Board Meetings." To
report any problems, please call 703-993-3100 and ask for
Webcast Technical Support.
Directions to the NTSB Board Room: Front door located on
Lower 10th Street, directly below L'Enfant Plaza. From
Metro, exit L'Enfant Plaza station at 9th and D Streets
escalator, walk through shopping mall, at the CVS store (on
the left), and take escalator (on the right) down one level.
The Board room will be to your left.
###
NTSB Media Contact: Terry N. Williams
williat@ntsb.gov
(202)314-6100
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NTSB TO HOST VOLUNTEER PILOT SAFETY SEMINAR "STAND DOWN" AT NTSB'S
TRAINING CENTER
************************************************************
The National Transportation Safety Board, Angel Flight, and
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) will hold a
volunteer pilot safety stand down seminar at the NTSB
Training Center in Ashburn, Virginia on March 25, 2011.
Below is the seminar's agenda:
Keynote Address:
Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman, National Transportation
Safety Board 9:00-9:30 am.
Sessions:
NTSB
· Four NTSB accident briefs from investigations
involving volunteer pilots - Mr. Paul Cox,
Senior Air Safety Investigator
· Weather Issues - Mr. Don Eick, Meteorologist
· TWA800 lecture and viewing of the reconstruction
of the aircraft (2 sessions) - Dr. Paul Schuda,
Director, NTSB Training Center
FAA
· Perspectives From the FAA - Ms. Susan Parson,
Editor of ?FAA Safety Briefing? magazine
· Safety Systems - Ms. Karen Arendt, FAA
Washington FSDO FAAST Team Program Manager
AOPA
· Volunteer Pilots - Mr. Bruce Landsberg,
President of AOPA Foundation
· Final Approach Fix Inbound - Mr. Jonathan
Greenway, Chief Flight Instructor and Safety
Director, Air Safety Institute
· Topic To Be Determined - AOPA Legal (To Be
Determined)
Registration is free and limited to 200 participants.
Attendees must register on line at: abuys.com/pilotsafety.
Lunch is being provided courtesy of AOPA at no cost to
participants.
Information about the NTSB Training Center is available at:
www.ntsb.gov/TC/trainingcenter.htm.
Media contact: Keith Holloway, 202-314-6100
hollowk@ntsb.gov
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Airline giant Virgin Atlantic creates 450 jobs
(BBC) Airline giant Virgin Atlantic has announced the creation of 450 new jobs.
Many of the new jobs, which include 350 cabin staff and 50 pilots, will be based at
Gatwick airport.
The Crawley-based airline said it was creating a new route between Manchester and Las
Vegas, and increasing London departures to the Caribbean and Ghana.
It will also introduce a new fleet of 10 Airbus A330 aircraft over the next two years, with
the first two entering service in the next two months.
Corneel Koster, director of operations, safety and security for Virgin Atlantic, said: "We
have enjoyed a good year of recovery and can now look forward to expanding our
network and welcoming a new fleet of aircraft."
The airline said the bulk of the new cabin crew roles had been created to support the
additional weekly flights from London to Ghana, Tobago, Grenada and Havana.
The launch of the new Manchester to Las Vegas route will create 100 crew jobs in the
Manchester area.
The recruitment drive is in addition to the 200 jobs that Virgin Atlantic announced in
November for its new contact centre in Swansea.
Curt Lewis, P.E., CSP
CURT LEWIS & ASSOCIATES, LLC